Turkish coast guard teams rescued 18,487 irregular migrants pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces over 10 months this year.
Many of the irregular migrants, who set sail with their families in hopes of a new life, are pushed into Turkish territorial waters after being beaten by Greek elements.
Turkish Coast Guard Command teams are the last hope for the migrants, who are often abandoned in the middle of the sea on boats with dismantled engines.
Turkish coast guard teams working in the Aegean Sea respond to the call for help from migrants who have been mistreated, handcuffed and had their belongings confiscated.
Coast Guard Command teams rescued 18,487 irregular migrants pushed back in the western Turkish provinces of Çanakkale, Balıkesir, İzmir, Aydın and Muğla between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2022.
The highest number of pushbacks occurred in August with 3,259 irregular migrants assisted.
In the same period, 11,541 irregular migrants were caught by the Coast Guard Command while trying to leave the country.
In the same period, the bodies of 18 irregular migrants were found in the Aegean Sea. In addition, 111 migrant smugglers were handed over to the judicial authorities.
In their statements to security forces after being rescued, irregular migrants report desperately waiting for help in the middle of the sea after being mistreated by Greek elements. Some migrants report having their valuables taken away, being left at sea in handcuffs and being subjected to violence and torture.
Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum-seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
The European Union's border agency has been covering up illegal pushbacks of migrants by the Hellenic Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters, a report by the bloc's anti-fraud office also revealed recently.
According to the report by OLAF, Frontex has been withholding cases of possible human rights violations from its own fundamental rights officers, suspending aerial surveillance to avoid recording illegal activities, co-financing Greek units that carried out pushbacks and misleading the authorities responsible for overseeing the agency.
In recent years, Frontex has come under fire for alleged mistreatment of migrants, often endangering their lives. Earlier this year, Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri resigned amid the scandal. Human rights groups have also documented other human rights violations on EU borders where Frontex operates.